61 



PORTULACEAE. 



PORTULACA, Linn. 



Portulaca oleracea, Linn. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 148. 



III.— Rheede, Hort. Mai. x. t. 36 ; Schk. Handb. t. 130 : Tratt. 

 Archiv. ii. t. 13 ; Sibth. Fl. gr. t. 457 ; DC. PI. grass, t. 123 ; Lam. 

 Encycl. t. 402 ; Gray, Gen. t. 99 ; U.S. Dept, Agric. Rep. Bot. 

 1887, t, 6 ; Duthie, Field Crops, t. 93 ; Clarke & Fletcher, Farm 

 Weeds, Canada, t. 18 ; Turner, Forage PI. Austral, p. 7 ; Plenck, 

 Ic. t. 361 ; Bull. Econ. Indo-Chin. 1905, p. 1107. 



Purslane ; Pigweed. 



A potherb. The young shoots make good salad, and the plant 

 is regarded as a good vegetable, with antiscorbutic properties. 



On the Congo the plant is considered good fodder for cattle 

 (De Wildeman, PI. Util. Congo, Art. xxxi. p. 547) ; eaten readily 

 by all kinds of stock (Turner, Forage PL Austral, p. 7). 



The seeds are largely used for food by the natives of Australia 

 (Maiden, Austral. Nat. PI. p. 53). They are said to be a vermi- 

 fuge, and for this purpose a preparation is recommended 

 consisting of leaves and twigs 2*8 gram., fresh Papaw root 

 0'75 gram., water 48 oz., the whole boiled down to 32 oz. (Christy, 

 New Comm. PL & Drugs, No. 10, 1889, p. 82). 



Various medicinal uses are attributed to the leaves and seeds. 

 Cultivation is easy ; propagated by seeds and grown in light 

 sandy soil. 



Portulaca quadrifida, Linn. ,• Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 149. 



111.— Jacq. Collect, ii. t, 17, f. 4 ; Wight, Illust. t, 309. 



Lagos ; Niger. 



In Lagos the plant is used medicinally. In Egypt the bruised 

 leaves are used as an anticephalic (Planchon & Collin, Drog. 

 Simpl. ii. p. 762). 



Uses and culture similar to the preceding species. 



Talintjm, Adans. 



Talinum triangulare, Witld. (T. crassifolium.WiUd.)', Fl.Trop. 

 Afr. I. p. 150. 



III. — Plumier, Ic. Burm. t. 150, f. 2 {Portulaca foli is oho rath). 



Vernac. name. — Etinyon Mbkara (Eifik). 



Niger ; Old Calabar. 



Used for salads and as a culinary vegetable. 



Propagated readily from seeds and grows in light, rich soil. 

 Cultivated in native farms and gardens. 



HYPERICINEAE. 



PSOROSPERMUM, Spach. 



Psorospermum febrifugum, Spaclt ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 158. 



Niger. 



The bark is used by the natives of Angola as a febrifuge, and in 

 cases of leprosy (Hiern, Cat, Welw. Afr. PI. i. p. 57). 



